Food prices are spiking in the holiday season, and the Thanksgiving turkey is not being spared. Experts say overall, grocery prices are up about 13% more compared to this time last year.
Turkey prices are currently at their highest levels since 2000. The price of a 16-pound turkey is $28.96 on average this year. That’s up 21% from 2021, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Wendiam Sawadgo is an Assistant Professor at Auburn University. He said there’s no concern this year about a turkey shortage.
“We’re actually up compared to this time last year in terms of stocks of frozen whole birds that we have available in our inventory,” said Sawadgo. “In terms of availability, I don’t see too much trouble in terms of getting a turkey this year. It’s just going to be more expensive.”
And it’s not just the Thanksgiving centerpiece that’s costing more this year. Sawadgo said some grocery items are being more affected than others.
“For the past year, we’ve seen the food prices really increase 13%. That’s relative to the same point last year. And so, we’ve seen this affect a lot of categories. Eggs and dairy have been some of the largest hit ones.”
Sawadgo advises shoppers to plan ahead to make sure to have access to turkey and favorite sides this year. He also recommends using coupons and comparing store prices to get the best deals.